The Third Maze
by OptimusPrime2017
Summary: Another maze. Another group. More immunes. Another Greenie. This is the story of the group that never made it to the second phase; the group that never got to the Scorch Trials.
1. Chapter 1

**OptimusPrime2017 presents to you;**

 **A Maze Runner Fanfiction:**

 **The Third Maze**

 **Major Characters:**

Ken (Named after John Kennedy- Keeper of the Builders)

Johnny (Named after Jonathan Scott- Keeper of the Slicers)

Albin (Named after Albert Einstein- Med jack)

Don (Named after Donald Trump- Keeper of the Track Hoes)

Jeremy (Named after Jeremy Renner- 2nd in Command)

Lewy (Named after C.S. Lewis- Keeper of the Sloppers)

Brady (Named after Brad Pitt- Keeper of the Runners)

Max (Named after the German Shepherd from Max- Leader)

 **Semi-Major Characters:**

Jeff (Named after Thomas Jefferson- Keeper of the Bricknicks)

Church (Named after Winston Churchill- Keeper of the Baggers)

Isaac (Named after Isaac Newton- Keeper of the Cooks)

Billy (Named after Bill Gates- Med jack)

 _ **Main character: Leroy (Named after Samuel Leroy Jackson)**_

 **Chapter 1:**

His eyes snapped open as a loud noise burst into his ears and he was jolted upward. He got onto his hands and knees, looking around. The light was dim, but he could see that he was in some sort of box or cage, moving upward. Panic flooded through him as he realized something. Something very important. _Who am I? How did I get here? Why the hell can't I remember anything?_

Nausea joined in, only making the panic worse. He let out a gasp and vomited up whatever he'd last eaten. He scrambled to his feet, screaming at the top of his lungs as the panic took over once again. "Hello? Anyone! Get me out of here! Hey! Hey! Help!" He let out a cry of fear as he heard a strange growling noise. He stumbled backwards and fell against the wall of the metal box, gasping and panting as sweat leaked over his skin and soaked his shirt.

"Get me out of here!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

Suddenly the metal box came to a halt, tossing him flat on his back in the middle of it. He lay there panting, as he heard a creaking noise from outside the top of it. Suddenly, half of the roof opened, followed by the other half. Light streamed in, blinding him for a few moments. He covered his eyes with his right arm. Around the top of the box, he spotted boys. Lots of boys. Maybe around sixty of them. A few of them were laughing at him.

A strong looking boy, maybe six feet tall, jumped into the box, landing right in front of him.

"We got no more time for you to sleep now, Greenie." He told him in a slightly menacing voice.

He just nodded and slowly began to get to his feet, when the other boy just grabbed the collar of his shirt and thrust him towards a rope the other boys must've hung over the edge of the box for them. He slowly climbed up it, stopping at the top as he waited for the other boy to follow. Instead, a couple of other boys slid down it and landed beside him. They walked over to a few crates in the corner.

Curious, he was about to slide back down, only to be pulled back by someone. He turned and looked another boy, who seemed to be around seventeen or eighteen years old. Heart pounding, he was suddenly afraid again, though this time he didn't know what he was afraid of. He shoved the kid off of him as well aa a few other boys and took off running. He forced out of the crowd and into open grass, racing across it like mad. As he ran, he didn't pay attention to the surroundings. Al he cared about was getting away from this crazy group of kids.

All of a sudden, he tripped over his own feet and felt himself faceplant and then go tumbling. Cheering and whoops of laughter erupted from the boys, but he ignored it as he got up. Awe had taken over him. He glanced around at his surroundings.

What was this place?


	2. Chapter 2

The strong boy who'd greeted him walked over to him. _When'd he climb up the rope?_ He grabbed him by the back of his shirt and shoved him forward. He stumbled regaining his balance.

"Come on, shuck-faced Greenie." The boy grumbled. "Let's get you into the Slammer."

"W-what the hell's a slammer?" He asked.

"You'll see." He narrowed his eyes. "Now follow me and don't try running again."

He obeyed, following the kid across the grassy clearing towards a wooden structure against a stone wall. As they neared it, he realized what it was. The Slammer was a cage.

"No, I'm not going in there." He replied, taking a couple steps back.

"Yes, Greenie, I'm gonna make you." The boy moved to grab him.

In an attempt to defend himself, he punched forward and his fist connected with the other boy's cheek. In return, the kid staggered backwards, anger and shock in his eyes.

"Hey!" He called towards the group, rubbing his cheek. "I'm going to need some backup over here!"

Two boys jogged over from the other group, looking eager to help. One had medium colored skin and black hair. The other had white skin and brown hair.

"Thanks, Isaac." The kid said, glancing at the black haired kid. He gave a nod to the other. "Ken."

"No problem, Don." The kid named Isaac replied.

"Get away from me." The other boy demanded, backing away.

"Hey, hey. Look, We're not going to hurt you." Ken reassured him. "Just going to throw you in the pit long enough for you to calm down."

"And how long's that?"

"That is up to you." The kid replied, running a hand through his brown hair. "Also depends if you cooperate or not."

"Alright, Greenie." Isaac stretched. "C'mon."

"Fine." The newbie grumbled reluctantly.

Don and Isaac each grabbed one of his arms and led him towards the Slammer. They stopped at it and Ken opened the cage door.

"In you go, Greenie." He said, gesturing inside.

With a sigh, he clambered inside, sitting down on the dirt floor. The other boys walked away, but he heard one of them mutter something like, "Send Jeremy or Max to let him out in half an hour."

*X*

After what felt like forever, an Asian kid with black hair walked over.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked.

"Want me to let you out or not?"

"Yeah."

"My name's Brady." The boy said as he opened the cage. "I'm Keeper of the Runners."

"What does that mean?" He asked as he stumbled out of the Slammer.

"A Keeper is someone in charge of a group of workers here." Brady explained. "A Runner is the job I'm in charge of."

"What do they do?"

"Quit asking questions, will ya, Greenie?"

"Sorry. Geez." He muttered.

"Quite a show you put on back there." The Keeper glanced at him, amusement in his eyes. "You seemed fit to be a Runner...at first."

"What's the deal with you guys here?" He spat. "First you laugh at me and now you're turning it all into a joke."

"Joke?" Brady became serious suddenly. "Look, this place, it's no joke. Nothing here is a joke."

"Then why do you guys keep calling me Greenie?"

"In the Glade, a Greenie is a newbie."

"The Glade?" He repeated.

"This place is the Glade."

"Can't we leave?"

"Leave?" Brady echoed. "Like escape? Get the hell outta here?"

"Yeah, sort of." He raised an eyebrow. "What're you hiding?"

"We can't leave!" Brady nearly shouted. "We were sent here and we are trapped here."

"Sent here? By who?"

"How the shuck should I know? All I know is that W-I-C-K-D is on everything they ship up here."

"Is there anyone here wh-"

"Nobody knows why we're here or who those shuck-faces are, Greenie!" Brady retorted.

"Whoa, Brady." A tall blonde boy raced over. He had a British accent. "What's going on here?"

"The Greenie's naggin' about stuff, that's all." The boy replied. "Jeremy, go take the kid to Max and have him give him the tour."

"Might as well." Jeremy responded. "Come on, Gree-Newbie."

He rolled his eyes, following the kid called Jeremy. He knew that he'd nearly been called a Greenie again. He hated it when they called him that. It wasn't his name, though he didn't know what it was; He couldn't remember.

"Do you remember anything?" Jeremy asked as they made their way across the grassy clearing. "Your name?"

"N-no." He admitted. "I-I can't remember anything. Why can't I?"

"It's alright. Normal, actually." The blonde haired explained. "Whenever a boy comes up in the Box, they can't remember anything. It was the same for all of us. Don't worry about it. You'll remember your name within a few days, or hours maybe."

"The Box?" He echoed, glancing towards the concrete slab that contained the metal box. "Is that the thing I came up in?"

"Yeah, it is." Jeremy replied. "Now, we'd better find Max."

*X*

They reached a tall wooden structure. Screams of pain erupted from it.

"Oh, great!" Jeremy complained. "Another kid get stung?"

"Yeah." Don replied from nearby.

"I'm going in." He told him. "Go get Church to hang out with him."

"Actually, that's a problem." The boy admitted. "Church is the kid who got stung."

"What?" Jeremy glanced at him confused. "What would the Keeper of the Baggers be doing out in the maze, especially this late?"

"Hey, don't look at me. Maybe Brady knows." Don shrugged. "I'm Keeper of the Track Hoes, not the Runners."

"Ah, just give Greenie here to Lewy for now." The blonde grumbled, as another scream erupted from the building. "I might as well get in the Homestead here and help out."

He opened the door and it shut moments later. The Greenie slipped away and around the back of the house, that came only a few feet from the stone wall. He spotted a window, seeing that it had no glass. He squeezed through it and got back to his feet. He saw a staircase and climbed up it, finding a bunch of doors at the top.

Another scream sounded, making the building lurch. He took it to his advantage, listening to hear which room it'd come from. Out of the three doors, it had come from the one on his right. He put his ear to the door, trying to hear what was happening in there.

"Why was he in the maze?" Jeremy was asking.

 _Maze? That's what's beyond the walls? Wait, they mentioned a maze earlier as well._ He thought for a moment as he remembered the giant doors in the walls. _So, we're trapped in a maze. Yes._

"I don't even know!" A voice yelled through another scream.

"Can't you make him shut up or something, Albin?" The British demanded.

"I'm trying, alright!" A deeper voice responded, stress in it. "Billy, you have anything?"

"No, I got nothing." Another boy responded.

The Greenie hadn't realized that his breathing had risen.

"What's that?" Jeremy asked after another scream.

"I think someone's outside the door!" The first unknown kid half yelled.

"I got it." He grumbled.

The newbie froze as he heard footsteps coming towards the door. The scrambled down the staircase and slipped back out the window. He made his way to stand in front of one of the gigantic doors. He took a few steps closer.

"Hey!" Don's voice rang out as he shoved the new kid roughly.

The Greenie landed on his back and kicked the other boy's ankle. He scrambled away and clambered to his feet.

"Whoa. Easy now, Greenie."

"What's going on here?" A familiar voice came.

They turned to see Brady jogging towards them.

"The Greenie here almost went into the Maze." Don explained.

"Stop calling me that!" He shouted at last.

 **So, as you've probably noticed, Jeremy is a Newt-like character. Also, Brady is a Minho-like guy and Don is another version of Gally. The Greenie is in Thomas' position.**

 **The story here is a mix of the book and movie. I'm still working on deciding if I'll do a version of The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure. If I do, should I make separate stories or leave them all on this same 'book' or whatever it is? Let me know what you think in a review.**

 **-Thanks**


	3. Chapter 3

"He almost went into the Maze?" Brady ignored the other boy's outburst. "You're joking, right?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Dom retorted grimly. "I just saved his shuckin' life!"

"Are you stupid, Greenie?" The Asian boy rounded on him.

"Stop calling me that!" He repeated.

"What are we supposed to call you then?" Don asked, humour in his eyes. "Shank?"

He spotted a boy racing towards them, coming from the direction of the Homestead. He threw himself in between the Greenie and the other two boys.

"Will somebody tell me what the hell you guys are doing?" He asked.

"Uh…" Brady scratched his head.

"We weren't doing anything." Don lied. "Just talking."

"To me, it looked like you were being a little harsh to the Green-bean here." The authoritative boy narrowed his eyes. "And we can't have that, can we?"

"N-no, Max." Brady nodded. "You're right, it's not acceptable."

The sun had just vanished behind the walls and the shadows stretched long. The clouds on the horizon shone orangish-purple. A shriek erupted from the Homestead, splitting the silence.

"Good." The kid named Max nodded, rubbing a hand through his reddish brown hair. "Now, you two come with me." He gestured towards Don and Brady. "We've got to set up."

"Oh yeah!" Brady nearly jumped as he seemed to remember something.

"Set up for what?" The Greenie burst out.

"You'll see later, okay?" The Asian boy raised and eyebrow, flashing him and excited smile.

"Uh, okay." The boy responded, confusion clouding his mind.

"Greenie, you go find Lewy." Max told him. "If I remember correctly, he should be...cleaning up some slop over by the kitchens. Keepin' em clean for Isaac."

"Alright." The newbie replied. _Finally something to do! Maybe this next guy won't treat me like crap. Where are the kitchens though? Never got my tour!_ "Hey, I never got my tour."

"Have Lewy give you the tour when you find him." He told him, turning away and racing after the other two boys who'd already hurried away.

He gave a nod to the older boy, turning back the opposite way. He spotted a smaller structure across the grassy clearing. With a groan, he began jogging towards it.

The newbie reached the small building as soon as the last streaks of orange faded from the sky and the stars began to appear. He could see light coming from inside and opened the door, practically barging in.

"Hey!" A small pudgy kid exclaimed as the door hit him. "Watch the door!"

"Sorry." The other boy flinched. He closed the door. Then he shrugged and admitted, "I'm still learning my way around here."

"You're the new guy?" The boy asked, looking up from where he mopped a spot of the floor.

"Yeah." He responded, scratching the back of his neck. "The one guy Max sent me here so you could give me the tour of this place."

"The tour of the kitchens or the whole Glade?" The boy asked.

"What's the Glade?" He asked in reply, feeling stupid.

The pudgy kid rolled his eyes. "The whole place we're trapped in."

"Oh." The Greenie mumbled. "Yeah, the whole place."

"I'm going to guess that you haven't remembered your name yet."

"Are you Lewy?"

"Yeah, that's me." The pudgy, curly haired boy responded as he finished mopping. "I just finished cleaning Isaac's kitchens. I guess I could give you the tour real quick."

"Thanks, I appreciate it." He replied.

"No problem, really." Lewy shrugged. "Gives me a break from cleaning stuff."

They exited the kitchens together.


	4. Chapter 4

It was halfway through the tour and the shadows were slowly fading into night darkness. Out of nowhere, a loud shifting screeching noise erupted from everywhere. He glanced around, trying to locate the source.

He spotted the open section of the walls closing with a loud rumble. Within a minute, they had slammed shut, sealing them in for the night.

*X*

"Come on, it's starting soon." Lewy beckoned, heading towards the center of the Glade, where most of the boys had gathered.

They'd just finished the tour and it was pretty much pitch black, besides the moon, stars, and other lights inside the Glade, of course.

"What's going on, Lewy?" The Greenie asked as they trekked over in that direction.

"A celebration." The pudgy kid explained. "In your honor, actually."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"I gotta see this." He muttered sarcastically.

They reached the Gladers. A few of them were holding sticks, which were burning on the ends.

"Are we all here?" Jeremy called out.

"Everyone, but Church and Billy." Brady responded, casting the Greenie a curt nod.

"Alright!" Max shouted, gaining the attention of every boy. His voice had cheerfulness in it. "Let's light it up!"

The few boys with the torches threw them at a wooden campfire-like thing and it went ablaze immediately. Everyone cheered, except for the confused newbie. Within moments, everyone has hanging out like they were free or even at a party. The newbie sat against a log, a good way from the fire, his back towards it. Footsteps heading his wway caught his attention. He turned back to see who it was.

The blonde British boy, Jeremy, was coming towards him. He reached him and sat beside him, back against the log.

"Enjoying yourself, Greenie?" He asked.

"I guess." The newbie shrugged. "Saw Lewy giving ya the tour earlier. What do ya think of the place? It's all we got. Every bit of it."

"It's...interesting." The Greenie replied. "Earlier someone told me we were sent here. Why? Who put us here?"

"We don't know, mate." The blonde admitted. "Beyond those walls is a maze. Every day the Runners run through it and try to find a way out."

"How long have they been looking?"

"Just over three years." The boy told him, with a thoughtful glance. "They haven't found anything more than a few Grievers."

"What the hell is a Griever?"

"No one has lived to tell us that." Jeremy shrugged. "All we know is that they're out there, in the Maze. They are mostly out at night."

"Can they get in here?"

"No, nothing can get through-more the less over those walls. You're safe in here, with the rest of the boys."

The Greenie nodded, taking it all in.

"Come on, remember this is your celebration." Jeremy got to his feet.

The newbie did as well.

"Let me show you around a bit, you'd do good to get to know some of the others."

"Sure." He shrugged.

*X*

"And you see Don, right there?" Jeremy asked.

"Yeah, I see him."

"He's the Keeper of the Track Hoes- the ones who grow our food." The boy explained.

They stood there silently, watching the strong boy shove another skinny kid out of a circle of the other boys.

"What're they doing?" The Greenie asked, breaking the silence.

"It's a game. The rules are not to get pushed out of the circle."

"Strange sort of game."

"I know, but it's all we got." Jeremy told him. "We don't have much time to mess around anyway."

"Yeah, I've noticed." The newbie nodded. "You seemed pretty busy today, with that kid screaming and all. What was wrong with him anyway?"

"Church?" The British boy sobered up. "He's been stung, by one of those Grievers."

"When did that happen?"

"This morning."

"How did he get stung?"

"He had to go into the Maze after a goat." Jeremy sighed. "We thought that it'd be dead, so we sent him out with Brady. Turns out a Griever was devouring the goat when they found it and it sort of...attacked them. Brady obviously got out fine. He saved Church's life."

"Wow." The Greenie breathed.

"Alright, no more questions tonight." The boy yawned. "Let's go have some fun now before I fall asleep!"

The Greenie immediately found himself standing in the circle of the game. After the current boy failed, Don saw him in the circle of boys.

"Hey, Greenie, wanna see what you're made of?" He challenged, raising his eyebrows.

"Greenie! Greenie! Greenie!" A chant rose up and he found himself in the middle of the circle.

"Have you figured out the rules yet?" Don asked.

He nodded. "Let's do this."

A smile appeared on the muscular boy's face, the first one he'd seen from him. Then, he suddenly charged at him, shoving him into the arms of two of the boys that formed the circle. They shoved him back towards Don. The Greenie raced at him,barreling into his midsection. Don easily slipped from his grip and the new kid faceplanted in the grass.

There were "ooh"s from the crowd as well as laughter. Slightly humiliated, the Greenie kicked Don's legs out from under him and he collapsed onto the grass beside him. Seconds later, they were both on their feet, ready for another go.

"Come on, Greenie, you should be better than that." Don taunted.

Anger flooded through him. "Stop calling me that!"

"What do you want me to call you? Shack?"

Anger turned into rage and he barged into the cocky boy's side, shoving him onto the ground. Before he could move away, his legs were kicked out from under his body and his head slammed into the ground. He let out a cry of pain, as whoops, cheers, and laughter erupted.

But the newbie ignored it. A strange, new yet familiar word was in his mind. No, not a word. A name. _Leroy._ His eyes widened and he slowly got into a sitting position.

"Leroy." He murmured. He scrambled to his feet in a hurry, excitement overcoming his rage. "Leroy! I remember my name! It's Leroy!"

After a few moments of silence, someone shouted his name in a cheer. The others joined in, crowding around him. Don ended up shaking his hand.

"Hey, Leroy, great job." He replied as he turned away.

A shriek -not a human shriek- erupted from beyond the walls.

"What the hell?" Leroy burst out.

"That was a Griever." Brady said as he shook his hand.

*X*

"Hey, Jeremy, I have one more question." Leroy said as they headed towards the hammocks in the Deadheads.

"Ask away." The boy replied, his voice laid back.

"Why haven't they found a way out yet?"

"Strangely, the Maze changes at night." The British explained. "If you listen, you can hear it."

They fell silent for a moment. Faintly, he heard something shifting. It was pretty loud, almost louder than the doors closing.

"Yeah, I hear it." He breathed. "Wow. How is that possible?"

"I don't even know." Jeremy half chuckled as they reached the Deadheads, where the hammocks hung in between tree trunks. The blonde haired boy settled down into one, yawning loudly. "Sweet dreams, Lee"

"G'night." Leroy respond, laying down in his hammock, though his long legs dangled off of the end. He let out a small yawn as his first day in the Glade came to an end.

 **Okay, so day one was four chapters long! Should I be surprised? Anyway, review your thoughts and suggestions in the comments!**

 **-Thanks!**


	5. Chapter 5

" _Everything is going to change." A woman's voice came. "WICKED is good."_

Leroy's eyes snapped open. A hand was clamped over his mouth. His eyes darted around, focusing on someone's face. Max.

"Shh." The boy said, removing his hand. "Come on."

He got to his feet, following him away from the Deadheads and across the Glade. The sun had come up not long ago, by the look of it and the doors were open. They reached one of the giant stone walls, where names were carved. Some were scratched over through the middle.

"You want me to put my name on the wall?" Leroy guessed.

"Yes, but look." Max pointed to a few of the crossed off names. "We lost most of the boys to fear in the first few months here. Dark days."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you're not the same as the other boys. You're different. You're curious. But you're one of us now, and it's time you know what that means." He grabbed the other boy's hand and thrust a knife into it, closing the fingers over it. He pointed to the wall.

Leroy understood. He walked up to the wall, putting the knife up against it. He carefully engraved his name into the stone.

*X*

Isaac, Keeper of the Cooks, had just sent him into the Deadheads to get some water. He approached a small stream, tossing an empty milk jug over beside it. A horrible smell reached his nose and he heard flies buzzing around. He looked to his left, spotting an old grave. He crouched down beside it. The name of the grave's occupant was James. Bones stuck up out of the ground and a feeling of nausea came over him. He pulled back, away from the grave.

Leroy forced himself to look away from it. He grabbed the milk jug and kneeled down beside the stream. He thrust the jug into the water, letting it fill up. Once it was full, he pulled it back out and set it on the dirt beside him. He turned around, only to be face to face with a boy he'd never seen before.

This boy had very pale skin with bulging blue-green veins. He had short dirty blonde hair and was wearing a worn reddish brown tank-top shirt. His eyes were bloodshot and his breathing labored. He had a threatening look on his face, seeming as if he was trying to restrain himself from something.

"Uh, are you okay?" Leroy asked nervously.

"I saw you!" The kid practically screamed at him, his voice dog-like. "It's your fault!"

"What?" He asked, confusion flooding through him.

"This is all your fault!" The boy screamed again and Leroy realized who this kid was with a jolt.

He was talking to the sick boy, Church.

"No, I don't know what you mean." He burst out. "You should probably get back to your bed, Chu-"

He was cut off by a violent scream of protest and anger as the boy barrelled into him. Leroy struggled under him, as Church climbed up him and began squeezing his arms. He let out a scream of fear and pain, managing to free one arm. The managed to grasp the handle of the milk jug and poured all of the water on the boy's head. Church pulled back, shaking the water out of his eyes.

Leroy dropped the jug, taking this as an advantage. He took off, racing towards the main clearing of the Glade. He heard inhuman growls as Church charged after him.

"Hey!" He hollered as he spotted the clearing through the trees. "Hey!"

He burst into the clearing, stumbling. It slowed him down fast enough for the sick boy to grab his shoe. They both tumbled to the ground and Church began climbing back up him.

"Help!" Leroy screamed at the top of his lungs.

Almost immediately, he spotted the other boys racing towards him with spears in their hands. Jeremy was the first to reach them, whacking the sick boy in the ace with the handle of his spear. Church flipped off of him, ending up flat on his back. Leroy scrambled to his feet.

Church looked worse than before. He had a bloody mark on his temple and his eyes were squeezed shut. The boy moaned and grumbled as he was pinned down by the others who were arriving quickly now. Even Max had come over.

"Take him to the pit!" He ordered.

Five boys, one for each limb and another to keep him stable, lifted the now thrashing boy into the air and carried him in the direction of the Slammer.

"No, no, please!" His pleads rang out as he was shoved inside of one of the cages. "Don't do this to me! Let me out of here! Listen to me!"

*X*

It was about an hour before the doors were to close. Max and Leroy were sitting on a bench together. The Runners had returned about fifteen minutes ago and heard the news.

"We haven't been able to get a clear word out of him." Max murmured, flattening his reddish brown hair. "What did he say to you?"

"H-he said that he saw me, that this was my fault." The Greenie burst out. "How could all of this be my fault?"

The other boy scratched his chin thoughtfully. Suddenly he got up and began to walk towards the Slammer.

"Max!" He demanded. "What're you going to do to him?"

Max didn't reply, but the sober look in his eyes told him all he needed to know.

*X*

It was just a few minutes before the doors were going to close. All of the Gladers had gathered around one of them. The Keepers held giant poles, but the one Max had happened to have some kind of a collar on it. Jeremy and another boy Leroy didn't know were herding Church in their direction. He looked much worse than earlier, though the wound on his temple had closed.

The three boys reached them and the sick boy fell to his knees. Jeremy took a knife and cut the rope that bound his hands to the back of his neck. The poor kid collapsed to his knees, gasping and letting out disheartened murmurs that sounded more like cries.

"Please." Church pleaded. "Please. Don't do this. Max, please!"

Jeremy held a bag full of the kid's belongings, standing at the door of the Maze. Max gave him a nod and he tossed it onto the hard stone floor, beyond the door.

"No, no, no!" The sick boy was sobbing now as he pleaded. "Please."

Jeremy stepped back and grabbed another pole.

"Push!" Max ordered the boys who held poles.

The poles lowered and pushed towards Church, just as the doors began to rumble shut. Max thrust his closer, hitting a button on the handle of it. The collar clamped shut around the sick kid's neck, forcing him to move backwards, towards the Maze. Within moments, the kid was in between the two doors, which were now only a few feet apart. Max hit a button to detach the collar from the boy's neck and pulled his pole back. The others kept moving.

With a whimper of defeat, the boy squirmed into the Maze to avoid being smashed. The poles pulled back.

"Nooo!" Church's cries were cut off as the doors slammed shut.

 **Deceased- Church**


	6. Chapter 6

A gloomy silence filled the Glade. Everyone had a sulky look on their faces and their shoulders sagged. The poles were gently set on the ground and the Runners gathered them up, carrying them towards some kind of tool shed that sat besides the Homestead.

Max glanced around and looked straight at Leroy. "Church belongs to the Maze and the Grievers now."

Slowly, boys began to separate, going to do their own thing. Leroy found himself standing next to Isaac.

"Still want me to get that water?" He asked in a hushed murmur.

"No, it's alright." The boy shook his head, his voice a mutter as well. "You've done enough today, Greenie."

"Okay." He nodded, slowly dragging himself towards the hammocks. He reached them and settled down in his, next to Lewy. "Do you think he'll make it?"

"No." The pudgy boy responded. "No one's ever survived a night in the maze before."

They fell silent as everyone else settled into their hammocks. After a good ten minutes, Leroy slipped into an uneasy slumber.

*X*

" _Leroy." A girl's voice came. "Everything's going to change."_

" _Leroy." Different voices rang out, yet somehow familiar, but all said his name. "Leroy. Leroy. Leroy. Leroy."_

" _WICKED is good." A woman's voice came, the same as the last dream._

*X*

His eyes snapped open as a gray light shown from in between the trees. He forced himself into a sitting position and slipped off of his hammock. It was only dawn, yet he wasn't the first awake. A group of boys surrounded the Box. Curious, he raced over. He forced his way through the crowd, ending up next to Don. Jeremy stood in the Box, a confounded look covering his face.

"What is it?" Leroy asked.

"It's a girl." The British boy replied. "Hey, she has a note." He bent down to grab something and then stood straight again, unfolding a piece of paper. " _She's the last one. Ever."_

"The Box isn't going back down?" A fearful voice rang out.

Chaos erupted through the crowd of boys.

"Hey, shut up!" Max shouted at them.

Silence.

"You said it's a girl?" The leader echoed, disbelief clear in his voice.

"I think she's dead." Jeremy nodded.

Suddenly he froze, pulling back. Leroy could make out gasping from inside the Box. As if someone were gasping for air. He peered inside. A girl with brown hair lay inside. The girl was awake and her gaze flickered right towards him.

"Leroy." She burst out before her eyes shut and she collapsed back to the metal floor.

Leroy felt the eyes of each and every boy burning into him. "What the hell?" He muttered. He thought the girl looked familiar, but he didn't know who she was. He'd never met her, not in this lifetime at least.

Everyone began talking at once.

"Shut up!" Max shouted once again. "Billy, Albin, get over here."

The med-jacks raced over and jumped neatly into the Box beside Jeremy. After a few minutes of difficulty, the unconscious girl had been laid on the concrete surrounding the box. The supplies were taken out and a few boys were sent off with it to put everything in the right section of the Glade. Another kid came after racing towards the Homestead. He held some kind of a stretcher. The med-jacks thanked him and gently moved the girl onto it. Then they headed off towards the Homestead.

*X*

It had taken a good fifteen minutes for the boys to get back to work. Leroy found himself helping the Builders today. Max had gone out with the Runners to track down Church's footsteps, leaving Jeremy in charge for the day. It has already a couple of hours past noon.

Leroy hit his axe into the base of a tree. Ken, a brown haired boy and Keeper of the Builders, was also hacking at the same tree.

"Having fun?" The boy half joked.

"I guess." Leroy muttered with a slight shrug as he pulled the axe out of the tree and whacked it in again.

"Had a rough couple of days, yeah?" Ken asked, seeming slightly sympathetic.

"Yeah." He admitted. He spotted gray clouds nearing half covering the Glade. "What happens if Brady and Max don't make it?"

"Ah, come on, Greenie." The Keeper said in an optimistic voice. "They'll be fine. Be back hours before the doors close."

"They close at six, right?" Leroy asked, remembering something he'd been told earlier.

"Yep, that's right."

"It's two right now. They only have four hours left out there."

"I know. I'm not worried yet." Ken said, glancing at him.

"How many Banishings have you guys done?" He asked curiously, pulling a splinter from his thumb.

"Four, including Church's last night." The boy replied. "All just as nasty as that one."

*X*

It was only an hour and a half later when it started raining. They had to take back all the wood they had cut off of the tree so far and put it away in the shed with the axes. Now, everyone was either in the Homestead or under the Deadheads by the Hammocks, watching the doors for Brady and Max's return. The other Runners had returned ten minutes before it started raining and entered a wooden shack further in the woods. After about twenty or so minutes, they'd joined the rest of the group.

"Are you sure they'll make it back?" Leroy asked Jeremy. Who seemed a bit anxious himself.

"Yes, they'll be fine." The stress was clear in the blonde's voice.

"You don't seem so convinced yourself." He finally told him.

Jeremy only raised his eyebrows, burning his gaze back at the doors.

*X*

It was five minutes before the doors were to close. The rain had just stopped ten or fifteen minutes ago. Every Glader stood by the set of doors in which the two boys had left, gazing out anxiously.

"One minute and thirty second to go." Jeremy's defeated, worried voice announced.

"Wait, I see them!" Leroy shouted, pointing towards a left turn.

Sure enough, the two boys rounded the corner, but something didn't seem right.

"Something's wrong." Ken burst out, dread in his voice.

Brady was practically dragging Max. He looked drained, his skin pale and covered in sweat. There was still a couple hundred feet to the Glade when the doors began to close.

"They're not going to make it." Jeremy gasped.

"C'mon Brady, you can do it!" Lewy screamed.

The strained boy let out a cry of effort as he tried to speed up. Max slipped from his grasp and landed on his back. The Asian kid grabbed his and began dragging him towards the Glade. The doors were only about two feet from closing. The other Gladers' screams told Leroy what he should do.

And he did it.

He rushed forward, squeezing sideways through the gap in the doors.

"Leroy, no!" He heard Jeremy holler after him.

But it was too late. He was in the Maze. The doors rumbled shut and he felt a feeling of abandonment. _You got yourself out here, stupid!_ He yelled at himself inwardly.

"You're dead now." Brady's panting voice came, from where he sat, hunched over against a wall. "All three of us are dead."


	7. Chapter 7

**So, chapters are coming in hot, am I right? Average of about two a day, I think. So, it's time I start thinking of a sequel. Any name ideas?**

"W-what do you mean?" Leroy asked, confusion and anger flooding through him. _I'm only trying to help them!_

"You just killed yourself, Greenie." He panted, glancing at the form of Max.

He scrambled over to the unconscious boy. His skin was pale, reminding him of Church, the sick boy. He had a bloody spot on his light gray shirt and a dent in his forehead.

"What happened to him?"

"What does it look like? He got stung."

"You saw a Griever?" He questioned.

"Yeah." Brady said, finally catching his breath. "We thought it was dead. It wasn't."

Leroy got back to his feet. "We gotta move."

"Not worth it." Brady protested. "We're going to die anyway."

"Have you given up already?!" He shouted at him.

The Asian kid got back to his feet, anger ablaze in his eyes. "Look. We don't stand a chance out here. No one has ever survived a night out here. Never has one boy come back after a long night in the Maze. We won't be back in the Glade again. Ever."

"We should at least try to make it!" Leroy shot back. His voice fell to a whisper. "We can't just leave him."

*X*

Leroy let out a groan of exhaustion. They'd finally come to an agreement and were pretty much carrying Max around. The only traces of light were from the moon.

Brady let out a panting gasp. "Let's set him down here."

They painfully set Max down against one of the stone walls.

"We need to hide him." Leroy suggested. "We can come back for him in the morning."

"Alright." The Asian boy said, disbelief clear in his tone. "But where? There's nowhere to go."

Leroy looked around, spotting ivy on one of the walls. He stared at it, thinking of an idea.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" He asked Brady.

"Hang him from a shuck wall?" Brady replied. "If so, then yes."

"Alright, let's do it." Leroy decided.

They dragged the boy over to the wall. Brady held him in place while he tied the ivy vines around the boy's chest.

"When I say go, we pull this." Leroy said, handing him the end of a long vine.

"You're brilliant, Greenie. Just brilliant." He couldn't tell if the Runner was being sarcastic or not.

"Pull!" He yelled.

Leroy grasped the ivy just in time and the two boys pulled on it, making Max's body move upwards along the stone wall.

"It's working!" Brady burst out.

They both let out groans and yells of effort as they moved backwards, pulling with all of their strength. Max was halfway up the tall stony wall when the first shrieks of Grievers rang out. They decided to tie the vine to the other ivy, so that Max would stay there rather than slide back to the ground. Brady tied the knot and secured it.

Just as they finished, Leroy's head snapped to the right as he heard a strange metal clicking sound, followed by moaning. Brady was breathing heavily in fear.

"We gotta go." The boy said, seeming to be having a panic attack over there.

"I know." Leroy responded, not looking away from the spot the noise had come from.

The clicking came again, but much closer. A hideous white, hairy 'bulb' like creature came into view. It had metal legs and a tail. It had a huge mouth, which covered most of its face, but no nose or mouth. It opened the wide mouth to let out a blood-curdling shriek and began charging at them.

Immediately, the two boys turned around and began running for their lives. Rapid clicking and screeches proved that the Griever was pursuing them. They turned left, right, left, right. The Griever kept chasing them.

"We are so shucked!" Brady screamed at him.

"Just keep running!" He shouted back.

Leroy turned right, but Brady turned left. The Griever stopped, trying to decide who to chase. It let out a screech of frustration and he heard it clambering away in the opposite direction. He heaved a heavy sigh of relief, slowing down to a stop. He began walking back to where they'd left Max hanging on the wall, slowly catching his breath along the way.

*X*

Leroy rounded a corner, only to pull back as he spotted a Griever at the end of the long stony corridor. It was the corridor he'd left Max in too. He had no idea what had happened to Brady. He just half assumed that the terrified Runner had gotten killed. _He's the one who turned the other way!_

He gulped and peered around the corner again. The Griever was gone. He began walking towards where Max still hung, confusion clouding his mind. He reached the still unconscious boy only to feel his shoe sticking to the ground. He looked down to see some kind of goo. He glanced around, not seeing any traces of where it'd gone.

Suddenly, some of the same goo started pouring onto his shoulder. He felt it before he saw it. A horrible feeling of doom flooded over him as he heard a growling noise. _It's above me, isn't it?_

Suddenly, he saw a beaten figure standing at the other end of the corridor. How was he alive? It was the other stung boy. It was Church.


	8. Chapter 8

Leroy stood there in shock, watching the sick boy's movements. A familiar growling noise made him look up at the Griever. Deciding to take the chance, he began racing straight towards Church. Utter fear had covered the sick boy's face.

"C'mon, run!" Leroy shouted at him as he bolted past.

Church took off after him. They raced along side by side as the Griever gave chase.

"I'm sorry I tried to kill you!" The stung boy shouted over to him.

"I'll worry about that later!" He shouted back. "How did you survive so far? It's been almost two nights!"

"I know!" Church yelled. "Just luck, I suppose!"

Suddenly another Griever rounded the corner they were heading for, cutting off their escape.

"Oh, shit." Leroy panted, scrambling to be in the middle of them.

"We are so dead." Church's voice trembled.

He looked at the sick boy more closely. He was covered with scratches and bruises. His skin was pale from fear. His shirt was missing and the bottom of his pant legs were torn up. He was barefoot as well, leaving his feet cut up a bit.

"What happened to you?" He burst out.

"It's not easy living in here!" Church retorted.

The two Grievers were closing in on them.

"Hey, stupid!" A voice hollered from the end of the way they'd came, making the two boys glance at each other.

"Brady?!" He screamed back.

"That guy is here with you?" The stung kid muttered.

"Yeah." He whispered back.

"C'mon, stupid Griever!" Brady called.

It whipped around to face him, growling. Leroy studied the back of the Griever, realizing he could see through its skin. He spotted some kind of a lever inside of it. He reached forward and pulled stuck his hand into the slimy skin. Disgusted, he felt the metal lever on his fingertips. He grasped it and pulled hard. The Griever let out a horrific screech and collapsed to the ground.

Before he could turn to see what was going on behind him, something stabbed through his back. He let out a scream of pain as he looked down at his stomach, seeing metal poking through it. The other Griever, he'd forgotten about it for too long. The metal pulled back out of him and he felt himself crumble to the ground.

Brady let out a cry and raced towards him. His own blood pooled over the stone and soaked his shirt. He clasped both hands to his stomach. His vision danced before him. Was it his imagination or did he see something red flashing inside the dead Griever?

"L-look." He pointed, gasping out to Brady as he reached him.

He got to his hands and knees, crawling over to it. He reached his hand inside the Griever and pulled out a pink slimy intestine or something. Wires stuck out from it. He pulled on the wires. What came out of it, however, was a metal cylinder with the number six on it. He tossed the disgusting insides of the Griever onto the ground, some kind of slimy substance on his fingers.

"That's disgusting." Brady told him.

"I-I know." He croaked in pain. "Help Church."

He continued to stare at the strange object even as he heard the Griever screeching as the attacked it. After a few moments there was a plopping sound as it collapsed. Both Brady and Church came into sight, the Runner holding a lever like the one he'd pulled out of the other Griever.

"Y-you killed it?" He stammered.

"Yeah." The Asian boy nodded. He patted Church on the back. "Only because this shank helped me."

A new scratch went across the Keeper's face. Then Leroy put a hand to his still bleeding stomach. Then he glanced at the other boys. "Can you help me up?"

"Yeah, sure." Church replied, reaching a hand out to him.

He grasped it, letting the boy pull him to his feet. "Thanks. Look what I found." Leroy held up the cylinder and then gestured towards one of the dead Grievers. "It was in that thing."

"Really?" Church asked. "Wow. Any idea what it is?"

"No idea." He responded. "We should get back to Max."

"Yeah, he's right." Brady agreed. "Let's take this thing back to the Glade with us tomorrow."

"Now you think we're gonna make it?" Leroy rolled his eyes.

"Yeah!" The Runner replied. "We can kill these things." He pointed to the dead Grievers. "They're more vulnerable than we thought."

"True." Church agreed as the three boys set off in Max's direction.

*X*

The first gray light of dawn was beginning to show. The three boys had lowered Max down and sat around without anymore incidents through the last few hours. The bleeding of Leroy's wound had finally stopped. They'd tried to set one boy to watch while the rest slept, but none of them actually could sleep, remembering the horrors of the night.

"Come on, we'd better start heading back." Brady murmured, getting to his feet.

The others followed suit.

Church and the Runner each threw one of Max;s arms around their necks and began to drag him. Leroy followed as they began to wound their way back towards the Glade.

*X*

The sun was well up in the sky when they finally spotted the Glade entrance down a long corridor. Brady and Church dragged Max, while Leroy limped behind holding his stomach, which had begun to bleed again.

"I can't believe it." Church muttered. "I'm back here after two hell of a nights out here."

"Can't wait to see their reactions to seeing us." The Keeper responded. "We're the first three boys to ever survive a night out here."

"Yeah, and I survived two of them." The Keeper of the Baggers responded.

"Why did you try to kill me, the other day?" Leroy finally asked him.

The Changing, it gives the stung person some of their memories back." Church began slowly. "Many of mine were about you." Before he could continue, his free hand shot up and grabbed his throat. Gasping for air, he dropped Max and pulled on his other hand.

Brady dropped Max as well. Both of the other boys raced over, pulling Church's arm away from his throat and pinning it to the stone ground. They were all breathing heavily in surprise. After a few moments, they'd all calmed down and Church's arm was released.

"T-they won't let me tell you." The boy gasped out as he caught his breath. "I don't know why, but they don't want you guys to know."

"It's alright." Brady reassured him. "We only have about two hundred feet to go. Let's get back into the Glade so the med-jacks can deal with Leroy and Max."

"And so Jeremy can punish me." Church rolled his eyes as he got to his feet. "Again."

"Relax." Leroy told him. "You helped us, so maybe he'll give you another chance in here with us."

"I really hope so."

They grabbed Max and walked the last couple hundred feet into the Glade. The other boys looked up from their work, hearing them struggling inside and let out cheers.

"They made it!" Lewy screamed in joy.

"Wait a minute." Jeremy's voice became serious as he got closer. "What's Church doing here? And alive?"


	9. Chapter 9

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Leroy shouted at the now-angry mob of boys as blood oozed from his stomach and over his fingers. "It's alright. Church helped us."

"Why would he help you after he tried to kill you?" Lewy asked.

"It's true." Brady spoke up. "He helped us. Might be the reason all four of us made it back alive."

"Where are the bloody med-jacks?" Jeremy called out. "We ought to get Max into the Homestead."

Billy and Albin pushed their way through the crowd.

"Come on, all four of you. You look awful." Albin beckoned, waving his arm towards the Homestead.

*X*

Leroy gently closed the wooden door behind him as they entered the building. They staggered up the stairs and into the biggest of the upstairs rooms. Max was laid on a wooden bed and the two med-jacks began patching Brady and Church up. The other boy threw himself onto the floor in the corner of the room, holding his punctured stomach.

Brady looked at him as soon as he'd been patched up.

"Go on out without me." Leroy told him. "I'll be there in awhile."

The boy just nodded and left. Church followed him out a couple of minutes later. Billy began treating Max's wounds and injected the Grief Serum into his bloodstream.

Albin turned to him. "Get up Greenie."

With a grunt of effort, Leroy got to his feet.

"What the hell happened to you?" The boy burst out upon seeing the wound that stabbed through the boy's midsection.

"Griever." He answered. With a jolt, he realized that he was still grasping the metal cylinder.

"What's that?" Albin raised an eyebrow at it.

"It was in a Griever." Leroy responded, his voice toneless. "We killed two of them."

Billy turned at that. "You're joking?"

"Not a bit." He admitted.

*X*

The med-jacks had put bandages around the gashing wound and now all of the Gladers were in some kind of Gathering. More like an argument. The boy, Don, was very upset about the previous night's events. Especially the fact that Leroy'd gone into the Maze.

"Shut up!" Jeremy shouted, silencing the mob of boys. "Brady, you were with him. So was Church. What do you boys think?"

"Well, I don't know if the Greenie was brave or dumb." The Keeper of the Runners declared. "But whatever the hell it was, we need _more_ of it. I think we should make him a Runner."

Arguing burst out, but only to be stopped as Church yelled out over the group.

"He could be the one to get us out of this shucking place!" He shouted over the arguing.

The boys quieted down at that.

"Whoa, whoa." Don glared at the Bagger. "He broke our rules. You really think that we should make him a Runner after what he did?"

"Yeah, I do." Church glared right back.

"Okay, this kid really did loose his mind in the Changing!" The Keeper of the Track Hoes shouted angrily.

"Hey!" The boy shot back, just as angry.

"Calm down, both of you!" Jeremy interrupted. "This meeting is over! The Keepers, Greenie, and I will meet alone at sundown. Got it?"

*X*

They sat in the Gathering room again. The Keepers sat where all of the other boys had sat earlier. Jeremy sat on a chair facing them, while Leroy sat in another chair right next to him.

"Alright, so Leroy went into the Maze." Jeremy began. "And, we need to punish him."

"Throw him back out tonight." Jeff, Keeper of the Bricknicks, muttered.

"Let's make him a Runner, like I said earlier." Brady offered.

"I agree with Brady." Church spoke up.

"You were trying to kill him a couple days ago. Why are you on his side now?" Don spat.

"I was going psycho from the Changing. I'm back in my mind now, and I think the right thing to do is to make the kid a Runner."

"I agree with...Don." Isaac said, shaking his head. "How do we know that Church isn't lying? He might still be crazy!"

Leroy bit his lip to stop himself for yelling at them. Jeremy had an uncomfortable look on his face as the Keepers argued.

"Make him a Runner!" Lewy shouted through the chaos.

Albin shook his head. "No way, it won't work out."

"I don't care what happens." Johnny muttered. "As long as we get this over with."

"Don't you want out of the Glade or what, Johnny?" Ken glared at him. "Our best chance is for the Greenie to become a Runner. I can't stand it here for much longer."

"Alright!" Jeremy roared, silencing them all. "Raise your hand if you want him to be a Runner."

Four hands rose, the other three staying down.

"He still needs to be punished, either way." Brady muttered. "How about he spends tonight in the pit and I begin training him tomorrow?"

No one replied. After a few moments, the second in command gave a small nod.

"Okay, starting tomorrow, Leroy is officially a Runner." Jeremy decided. "Brady, take him to the pit for tonight."

The boy nodded. "C'mon, Greenie."

Leroy got up and followed him out of the building. They slowly made their way towards the Slammer.

"What's Don's problem with me?" He asked.

"I don't know." Brady admitted. "He just doesn't like change, I guess."

"Obviously." He muttered, silencing them both.

They reached the Slammer and Brady opened it up.

"In you go." He said with a small smile.

Leroy scrambled in and Brady closed it.

The Asian boy crouched down at the door. "You know the thing you found last night, well, we're going to find out what it does tomorrow. I think I know what we need to do. A bit of it, anyway. I'll be here before dawn and tell you what I know. Got it?"

"Yeah." Leroy nodded. "Sounds good."

Brady got to his feet and backed away a few steps. "We're going to change everything tomorrow. I promise you that."


	10. Chapter 10

"Sure you don't want to sit this out, Greenie?" Brady raised an eyebrow through the dim light.

"Oh, no." Leroy assured him. "Come on, man."

The Asian boy gave a small smile and opened up the Slammer. The Greenie scampered out and got to his feet.

"You said you were going to tell me what you know?" Leroy asked as they headed for the Deadheads.

"Yeah." Brady nodded. "Let's get to the shack and then I'll explain. Oh, yeah, here's this by the way."

He tossed him the metal cylinder and he caught it. "Any idea what it does?"

"I think it _might_ be a key for something, but I don't know for sure yet." The Runner responded.

"Guess we'll find out."

"Yeah."

*X*

Brady tore a tarp from over the table of the shack. A mini-model of the Maze sat there. "This is everything. I've actually mapped it all out myself. There are numbers in sections of the Maze; one through eight."

"If this is everything, why do you keep looking?" Leroy questioned. "And what's so special about six?"

"We try to give them hope." The Asian said sadly. "We need to keep hope if we're to survive in the Glade. And about six, I have no idea. We'll find that out today."

"So, what do we need this for if we can't leave?"

"That's the thing. That cylinder, it's a new discovery. It gives us a real chance of escaping." Brady looked him in the eye. "Just need to get suited up and prepared for a long day's running."

He turned to face a box in the corner of the shack. He opened it and took out a vest, tossing it to Leroy, who caught it. "Put it on." Brady ordered. Then he tossed his a loaded backpack. "That too. It has lunch and water." He took another set out of the box and put them on himself, glancing to see if Leroy had listened. He turned back to the box and pulled out four knives. He handed two of them to the Greenie, by the handle, of course. "Careful."

"What are these for?"

"In case we find anything dangerous. We're ready, now let's go."

*X*

The two Gladers raced through the stone corridors of the Maze, pausing every five turns to write down the ways they'd turned and cut down a strip of ivy. They entered Section Six and walked through an area of large metal panels.

"What is this place?" Leroy asked.

"I call em Blades." Brady responded. "Look more like giant doors to me, if you ask."

"Blades." The Greenie echoed, looking around.

Suddenly, a strange noise came from Brady's backpack. The boy pulled it off and opened it to reveal the cylinder, giving off a faint light and beeping strangely. He zipped up the backpack and slipped it over his shoulders, not taking his eyes from the object.

"Hey, give it to me." Leroy reached out an arm.

With a slow nod, Brady handed it to him. "Okay."

"Wait…" The Greenie gasped with realization, turning in the direction the cylinder was beckoning. "I think it's showing us the way."

After following the path the cylinder showed, they reached a stone wall.

"It's just another dead end." The keeper groaned irritably.

As if he'd triggered it, the cylinder let out a beep and the wall began to move up. The boys exchanged glances and waited as the stone door opened completely. Now, they gazed down a long stone passageway. They jogged down it, reaching a strange metal circle on the call. It opened with a beep similar to the one the cylinder gave off. A strange slime sat in the hole in the wall.

"Grievers." Brady murmured after, touching it.

Both of them jumped back as it gave another beep and a red scanning beam flickered over them. Then a loud noise rang out and the stone wall began closing.

"Oh, no." The Runner took a couple paces back. "We gotta get out of here."

Leroy nodded in agreement and they began racing back the way they'd came. They ducked under the stone door and began harring through the now closing metal Blades.

"Come on!" Brady shouted as they reached the other last row. "You'll be trapped!"

He'd already crossed it, but Leroy was racing alongside them on the other side. With a shout, he barged in between the last two Blades, and just in time.

"Phew!"

"Don't stop running, we're not safe yet!"

A loud booming noise echoed Section Six and they looked to see a chunk of the stone wall falling towards them. They dodged it and reached the section exit. It was nearly closed now. They leapt onto the closing stone and crawled across, falling to the Maze corridor floor as they exited the section. It closed with a loud boom.

The two boys lay there panting on the hard stone.


	11. Chapter 11

Brady and Leroy jogged back towards the Glade silently, side by side. When they entered, they were greeted by a group of curious boys and one girl. The Greenie was awake.

"What has Leroy done now?" Don asked, a sneer in his angry voice.

"We found a new passageway-it could be our way out!" Leroy told him.

"It's true." Brady confirmed. "Nothing I've ever seen before!"

"The Grievers, we think that's where they go during the day." The other boy continued.

"Wait, so you're saying that you found the Grievers' home?" Lewy asked, fear hinting his voice.

"Their way in can be our way out." Brady suggested.

"No." Don shook his head. "It's a bad, dangerous idea. If anything, that's how we'll all die!"

"Calm down, all of you!" Jeremy demanded. "We'll discuss this later after the doors close tonight."

*X*

The first stars were beginning to appear in the sky. The doors hadn't closed yet and all of the boys were worried. At the moment, many were racing towards the different exits with torches. Leroy followed Brady, Jeremy, and the girl-whose name was Thalia.

Leroy had talked to her earlier and found out that she was different as well. When she was in her coma, she'd had strange dreams. All of them had repeated the too familiar phrase,"WICKED is good."

He looked at her now, flashing her a shrug. As they reached the door, a familiar moan-shrek sound came and he spotted movement coming towards them.

"Everybody run!"


	12. Chapter 12

Leroy and the others began racing away from the giant Door as fast as they could. The Grievers had arrived and were about to destroy everything they had.

"Brady!" Leroy shouted. "Go get weapons!"

"Definitely!" The Runner agreed, turning towards the Deadheads with a couple of boys on his heels to help out-hopefully.

The first Griever pursued them, screeching over their screaming. Jeremy threw his torch in obvious hope to kill it, but it only delayed it from chasing after them again.

Grievers chased the other Gladers away fro their exits as well. Leroy couldn't wonder about anything, but why the doors hadn't closed. He nearly froze in fear when he saw a bloody boy crawling on the ground, obviously having been attacked by one of the beasts.

Suddenly, a white slimy body appeared in front of them, forcing the group to stop. He looked back at the creature behind them. They were lucky when a cluster of spears embedded themselves into the skin of the one in front of them. They began running again, spotting Brady's group, who'd saved them.

More and more Grievers entered the Glade and soon it was hard to actually spot a boy. When they did, he was dying in a bloody heap on the ground. Leroy's group got split up and he was on his own racing through the Deadheads.

When a Griever's tail stabbed through his back and poked out of his chest, he was sure that he was the last one. The laster Glader.

Leroy was sure that every human being in the maze-in the Glade itself-was dead.

This was the tale of Group C, the third maze. The group that never made it to phase two.


End file.
